50 players to start or sit for fantasy football in Week 9
The 2024 NFL regular season is reaching its midway point in Week 9, but fantasy football is already past it. Fantasy managers are starting to get their teams ready for playoff runs by reinforcing their rosters and trying to start the right bye-week streamers to remain competitive each week.
After a bye week respite in Week 8, the San Francisco 49ers and Pittsburgh Steelers are both off in Week 9. That will knock some top fantasy contributors like Brock Purdy, Jordan Mason, Najee Harris, George Pickens, Deebo Samuel and George Kittle out of action. Even kickers Chris Boswell and Anders Carlson will be missed by their respective squads.
What should fantasy football owners do to replace these quality options? Navigating injuries and bye-week absences is never easy, but there are always plug-in streamers and depth pieces available on the waiver wire.
Need some help with those difficult fantasy lineup decisions? Here are 50 players to start or sit in Week 9 of the 2024 NFL season.
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Week 9 Fantasy football start ’em and sit ’em: QBs
START: Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs (vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
The Buccaneers are surrendering the third-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks and have allowed at least four passing touchdowns in three of their last four games. Expect Mahomes to feast, especially as he develops more chemistry with DeAndre Hopkins.
START: Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles Rams (at Seattle Seahawks)
Stafford has played two games this season with both Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua at his disposal. He is averaging 298 passing yards and 2.5 touchdowns per game in those contests. While Nacua’s injury status will bear monitoring, Stafford’s matchup against a middle-of-the-pack Seahawks defense should make him a solid streaming replacement for Brock Purdy owners this week.
START: Bo Nix, Denver Broncos (at Baltimore Ravens)
Nix is fresh off a four-touchdown outing against the Carolina Panthers. He can be trusted against a Ravens team that is tied for the league lead in passing touchdowns allowed to quarterbacks (17).
START: Derek Carr, New Orleans Saints (at Carolina Panthers)
Trusting the Saints amid their six-game losing streak may not sound appealing, but it’s important to remember what they did in Week 1 against the Panthers. Carr threw for 200 yards and three touchdowns in that contest in a 47-10 romp over their divisional rivals. That makes him a potential top-10 play in Week 9.
SIT: Kyler Murray, Arizona Cardinals (vs. Chicago Bears)
The Bears are allowing just 11 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks, second-fewest in the NFL, and just did a good job limiting Jayden Daniels before the rookie’s improbable Hail Mary at the end of regulation. Murray could still work his way into QB1 territory, but his ceiling is much lower than usual against a quality defense.
SIT: Tua Tagovailoa, Miami Dolphins (at Buffalo Bills)
Tagovailoa has a record of 1-7 against the Bills while averaging just under 200 yards per game with seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Buffalo limited Tagovailoa to 145 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions in Week 2, so don’t expect Tagovailoa to get revenge in this matchup.
SIT: Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks (vs. Los Angeles Rams)
Smith failed to throw a touchdown in his first game of the season without DK Metcalf in Week 8. Metcalf (knee) is out again in Week 9, so don’t be surprised if Smith has another dud outing.
SIT: Jameis Winston, Cleveland Browns (vs. Los Angeles Chargers)
Winston just threw for 334 yards and three touchdowns against the Ravens, but that was a great matchup against Baltimore’s leaky secondary. The Chargers’ defense has performed well in Jim Harbaugh’s first season and has allowed just eight total touchdowns to quarterbacks this season. Winston may still post solid yardage totals, but without multiple scores, he will probably finish as a QB2.
Week 9 Fantasy football start ’em and sit ’em: RBs
START: Aaron Jones, Minnesota Vikings (vs. Indianapolis Colts)
Jones had an off week in Week 8 against the Rams on ‘Thursday Night Football’ but should remedy that in prime time this week. The Vikings are facing the Colts, who have allowed 162.5 yards per game to running backs over the last four weeks and four touchdowns.
START: Kyren Williams, Los Angeles Rams (at Seattle Seahawks)
Williams scored a touchdown in his 10th consecutive game in Week 8 and should continue that streak on Sunday. Seattle has one of the worst run defenses in the league and has allowed nearly 200 total yards per game to running backs over the last four weeks.
START: Tyler Allgeier, Atlanta Falcons (vs. Dallas Cowboys)
The Cowboys are tied with the Panthers for the most rushing yards allowed per game in 2024 (154.6). Allgeier carved up the Panthers’ defense for 108 total yards and a touchdown in their matchup, so expect things to pick back up for the third-year back after a quiet couple of weeks.
START: Chuba Hubbard, Carolina Panthers (vs. New Orleans Saints)
It isn’t clear how much longer Hubbard will retain high-end fantasy value with Jonathan Brooks’ impending debut. Luckily, the Panthers face off against one of the worst run defenses in the NFL in Week 9. The Saints have allowed seven touchdowns and 177 total yards per game to running backs over the last four weeks.
START: Chase Brown, Cincinnati Bengals (vs. Las Vegas Raiders)
Zack Moss is doubtful for Cincinnati’s Week 9 clash with Los Angeles, so Brown should handle the majority of the Bengals’ running back snaps. The Raiders are allowing the 10th-most fantasy points per game to opposing running backs, so Brown could be a top-15 play this week.
SIT: Rachaad White or Bucky Irving, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (at Kansas City Chiefs)
The Chiefs are the toughest fantasy defense for opposing running backs. They haven’t allowed 100 total yards to a running back group since Week 1 and haven’t allowed a running back touchdown since Week 3. Stay away from this timeshare if you can.
SIT: Javonte Williams, Denver Broncos (at Baltimore Ravens)
Williams disappointed his fantasy owners with a 52-yard dud against the Panthers, who have the league’s worst run defense, in Week 8. He now gets to face one of the league’s best run defenses in the Ravens, who are allowing just 69.9 rushing yards per game this season. Unless Williams can have a great receiving day, he’s a better fit on the bench than in fantasy lineups this week.
SIT: Travis Etienne Jr. or Tank Bigsby, Jacksonville Jaguars (at Philadelphia Eagles)
The Jaguars’ top two running backs are nursing injuries, facing an improving Eagles run defense that is allowing just 91.3 total yards per game to opposing running backs over the last three games and are playing their first game since Jacksonville traded away left tackle Cam Robinson. That makes this an unappealing duo to trust, especially without knowing how they will split carries.
SIT: J.K. Dobbins, Los Angeles Chargers (at Cleveland Browns)
The Browns are starting to get healthier on defense and looked revitalized against the Ravens with Jameis Winston at quarterback. More importantly, the Browns defense has allowed just 10 fantasy points per game to opposing running back groups over the last three weeks and slowed down Derrick Henry better than most teams in Week 8. You can start Dobbins if you need to, but don’t expect a standout performance.
Week 9 Fantasy football start ’em and sit ’em: WRs
START: Michael Pittman Jr., Indianapolis Colts (at Minnesota Vikings)
Pittman was nearly a ‘sit ’em’ for Week 9 before the Colts benched Anthony Richardson in favor of Joe Flacco. Pittman has finished no better than WR38 for the week with Richardson starting but has been a top-30 wideout in each of Flacco’s three games. Fire him up as a potential low-end WR2 if all goes well.
START: Cedric Tillman, Cleveland Browns (vs. Los Angeles Chargers)
Tillman proved his rise in production following the Amari Cooper trade was no one-week fluke after posting seven catches for 99 yards and two touchdowns against the Ravens. He faces a tougher Week 9 matchup against the Chargers, but he is the clear-cut No. 1 option for quarterback Jameis Winston, who loves to throw the ball downfield.
START: Ladd McConkey, Los Angeles Chargers (vs. Cleveland Browns)
The Browns just allowed Zay Flowers to rack up seven catches for 115 yards against them. McConkey could have similar success after catching six passes for 111 yards and two touchdowns in Week 9 against the Saints.
START: Xavier Worthy and DeAndre Hopkins, Kansas City Chiefs (vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
The Buccaneers are allowing the seventh-most fantasy points per game to wide receivers this season, so this is a great matchup for Worthy and Hopkins. Feel free to wire up Worthy as a high-upside WR2 while Hopkins could be a higher-volume WR3 as he continues to develop chemistry with Mahomes.
SIT: Keenan Allen, Chicago Bears (at Arizona Cardinals)
Allen hasn’t yet clicked with rookie quarterback Caleb Williams and is averaging under 10 points per game in full PPR leagues. The Cardinals may not be a great passing defense, but it’s still hard to trust Allen as Chicago figures things out on offense.
SIT: Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks (vs. Los Angeles Rams)
Lockett looked primed for a big outing in Week 8 when DK Metcalf was out with a knee injury. Instead, he caught just one pass on three targets for 9 yards. His average depth of target is the lowest it has been since 2020, so Lockett looks like a middling flex play against a divisional opponent in Week 9.
SIT: Rashod Bateman, Baltimore Ravens (vs. Denver Broncos)
The writing is on the wall for Bateman’s target share in the Ravens’ passing offense after Baltimore made a trade for receiver Diontae Johnson on Tuesday afternoon. The receiver followed up his four-catch, 121-yard and one touchdown day in Week 7 with a one-catch dud against the Browns that saw him drop a 50-yard pass that hit him in the chest.
SIT: Jalen McMillan and Sterling Shepard, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (at Kansas City Chiefs)
McMillan and Shepard may end up being the primary beneficiaries of the absences of Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, but this is not a good matchup for them. The Chiefs allow the seventh-fewest fantasy points to wide receivers this season, so Baker Mayfield may target his backs and tight ends in this one.
Week 9 Fantasy football start ’em and sit ’em: TEs
START: T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings (vs. Indianapolis Colts)
Hockenson is returning to Minnesota’s lineup for the first time since he suffered a torn ACL and MCL last December. Hockenson is expected to be a full go and the Colts have allowed the sixth-most fantasy points per game to tight ends, so this is a good spot for him.
START: Mike Gesicki, Cincinnati Bengals (vs. Las Vegas Raiders)
Tee Higgins missed the Bengals’ Week 8 loss to the Eagles during which Gesicki was targeted nine times and caught seven passes for 73 yards. Higgins (quad) is listed as doubtful for Week 9, so that should give Gesicki plenty of targets against a Raiders defense that has been close to league-average against tight ends.
START: AJ Barner, Seattle Seahawks (vs. Los Angeles Rams)
Both Noah Fant and DK Metcalf will be out for the Seahawks in Week 9. That could give Barner a chance to post a big game, as he should see plenty of targets against a Rams defense that ranks 32nd in defensive DVOA against tight ends and has allowed the fourth-most fantasy points per game to tight ends.
START: Cade Otton, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (at Kansas City Chiefs)
Continue to fire Otton up as a starter with the Buccaneers shorthanded at receiver. He is averaging 8.5 catches for 94.5 yards and a touchdown per game over his last two games while the Chiefs have allowed the third-most fantasy points per game to tight ends this season.
SIT: Tucker Kraft, Green Bay Packers (vs. Detroit Lions)
The Lions defense has held opposing tight ends in check during the 2024 NFL season. They have allowed the second-fewest fantasy points per game to the position while only the Texans have allowed fewer receptions to tight ends. Kraft has had no more than three receptions in any game since Week 5 and may be hard-pressed to produce if Jordan Love (groin) is held out of the lineup before the team’s Week 10 bye.
SIT: Dalton Kincaid, Buffalo Bills (vs. Miami Dolphins)
The Bills’ second-year tight end hasn’t delivered the elite production fantasy owners who drafted him were hoping for in 2024. He has finished as a top-10 tight end just twice in the first eight games of the season. The Dolphins have allowed the fourth-fewest fantasy points to tight ends and Kincaid logged just four catches for 33 yards against them in Week 2. This is a low-upside matchup in what has suddenly become a crowded Bills receiver room.
SIT: Zach Ertz, Washington Commanders (at New York Giants)
Ertz had a respectable four-catch, 62-yard outing against the Giants in Week 2, but New York has allowed the third-fewest fantasy points per game to the position. The Giants also haven’t allowed a touchdown to a tight end yet, so this is a low-upside matchup for the Commanders’ top TE target.
Week 9 Fantasy football start ’em and sit ’em: Ks
START: Will Reichard, Minnesota Vikings (vs. Indianapolis Colts)
Reichard has made at least two field goals in five of his last six games and averaged 2.9 extra points per outing this season. The Vikings rookie hasn’t yet missed a kick and will now go up against a Colts defense that has allowed 2.4 field goal attempts per game. That makes Reichard a high-floor bye-week fill-in for Chris Boswell.
START: Chad Ryland, Arizona Cardinals (vs. Chicago Bears)
Ryland has enjoyed a quality campaign in place of the injured Matt Prater. Ryland has made at least two field goals in three of his four starts and has shown a clutch ability to make game-winning kicks. As long as he’s confident, he can be trusted against a Bears defense that has allowed the second-most field goal attempts per game (2.6).
START: Dustin Hopkins, Cleveland Browns (vs. Los Angeles Chargers)
Hopkins is a risky start, but he is fresh off a three field goal game against the Baltimore Ravens and should get more opportunities each week with Jameis Winston running the show instead of Deshaun Watson. The Chargers allow just 1.9 field goal attempts to opposing teams each game, but this is all about backing a Cleveland offense that generated a season-high 401 yards and 29 points against the Ravens.
SIT: Brandon McManus, Green Bay Packers (vs. Detroit Lions)
The Packers averaged three field goal attempts per game in Malik Willis’ three starts, so McManus may seem like an appealing streamer for some if Jordan Love is out. The one issue? The Lions are averaging 33.4 points per game, so the Packers will need touchdowns to keep pace with them. That could lead Matt LaFleur to eschew some close field-goal attempts to try to go for touchdowns.
SIT: Chase McLaughlin, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (at Kansas City Chiefs)
The Chiefs allow the fifth-fewest points per game in the NFL (17.6) and have held opposing receivers in check this year. That may make it hard for Tampa Bay to move the ball with Chris Godwin (ankle) and Mike Evans (hamstring) sidelined, so that could lead to a decrease in opportunities for McLaughlin in Week 9.
SIT: Blake Grupe, New Orleans Saints (at Carolina Panthers)
Grupe had a great performance against the Panthers in Week 1, hitting all four of his field goals and five extra points. That said, New Orleans’ offense won’t be as sharp as it was in that contest without Rashid Shaheed and several offensive linemen. Derek Carr’s return should up Grupe’s potential, but he’s far from a sure-fire start amid New Orleans’ six-game losing streak.
Week 9 Fantasy football start ’em and sit ’em: D/STs
START: Kansas City Chiefs (vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Most of the attention is focused on the Kansas City offense, but the defense deserves some love too. They aren’t dominant for fantasy purposes, ranking around league average, but a matchup with Tampa Bay makes them a worthy start. Baker Mayfield’s interceptions have ticked up recently and Kansas City should be able to contain his receiving weapons well with Chris Godwin (ankle) and Mike Evans (hamstring) sidelined.
START: Washington Commanders (at New York Giants)
Washington has held four of its last five opponents to less than 20 points and did the same to the Giants during their Week 2 matchup. Dan Quinn’s unit should have no problem continuing to limit New York’s anemic, Daniel Jones-led attack.
START: Buffalo Bills (vs. Miami Dolphins)
Buffalo is forcing just under two takeaways per game, registering at least one in every game. They also have a 7-1 record against Tua Tagovailoa and have typically forced him into numerous mistakes during their matchups. Expect another strong showing as the Dolphins try to keep Tagovailoa safe and avoid another serious injury.
START: New Orleans Saints (at Carolina Panthers)
Whether it’s Bryce Young or Andy Dalton, the Panthers make for a great matchup for fantasy purposes this week. Carolina just dealt Diontae Johnson to the Baltimore Ravens, making their offense even worse than it already was.
SIT: Green Bay Packers (vs. Detroit Lions)
The Lions are averaging a whopping 33.4 points per game this season. Divisional matchups may be a bit more competitive, but fantasy managers should want no part in slowing down Detroit’s offense despite Green Bay’s status as one of fantasy football’s best D/ST units this season.
SIT: New York Giants (vs. Washington Commanders)
Jayden Daniels may be nursing an injury, but there’s little reason to back the Giants defense in this matchup. Sure, New York is averaging a league-leading 4.4 sacks per game this season, but Daniels’ escape-ability should effectively neutralize them and give the Giants defense a low floor.
SIT: Denver Broncos (at Baltimore Ravens)
Benching the top-ranked fantasy defense is never an easy decision, but the Ravens are a big step up in competition for the Broncos. Denver has faced a fairly easy schedule to start the 2024 NFL season, and the Buccaneers probably rate as the best offense they have seen. Lamar Jackson should test Denver’s stop-unit in ways it hasn’t yet been tested, so this is a good week to fade the Broncos.
SIT: Philadelphia Eagles (vs. Jacksonville Jaguars)
The Jaguars’ record makes them look like an appealing offense to fade, but in reality, they are averaging a respectable 21.5 points per game and have only turned the ball over nine times thus far in 2024. The Eagles could post modest production against the Jaguars, but don’t expect them to be one of the best defensive teams in Week 9.
